Half a day and one night in Prague

Next stop on the 'Mad Dash through Europe' travel tour was Prague. There are direct trains from Berlin to Prague twice a day so we took the morning train and headed towards the Czech Republic. Sean and I knew we'd have some serious train journeys on this trip so we killed a lot of time playing cards and looking out the window at the rolling countryside. 

Prague's train station is pretty ancient but there are beautiful stained glass windows as you come off the platform and into the main station. It certainly felt like we were in Eastern Europe at last. We had booked Hostel Downtown, two minutes from the famous Wenceslas Square in the Nové Mesto (New Town) on the right bank of the River Vlatva. Definitely an improvement on the Berlin hostel with free internet and a far more comfortable sleeping arrangement. There was also a kitchen which meant we could cook in the evening - it's really the little things that make you happy when you're on a budget... and when you're in need of a bed to lounge on.

We knew we didn´t have long in Prague as we were planning on heading to Budapest around noon the next day so as soon as we dropped off our stuff we headed out to explore.

We strolled down to the riverside and made our way up to the Charles Bridge, which is a beautiful stone bridge lined with statues and is, in my opinion, the most impressive site in the city. 

On the other side of the bridge we grabbed a couple of Pilsner Urquell's (couldn't possibly be in Prague for more than an hour without indulging in some Czech beer) made our way up the narrow, winding streets towards Prague castle. Unsurprisingly, there are a lot of Irish pubs in Prague, and in every European city it seems, so we took advantage of the backdrop for a good ol' posed shot

!

The sunshine was coming out and after three days of rain, it was a welcome change! At the end of the climb, the view overlooking the city is stunning and even Sean was alright with looking slightly touristy as we took a few pictures from the top

After a quick bowl of pasta back at the house, we headed out to the Old Town square, Starometske namesti, a 12th century marketplace which is definitely a rival for Brussels' Grande Place. It really is stunningly beautiful, with a towering astronomical clock as the main feature. 

At the end of the night we found ourselves in (I'm ashamed to say it) an English pub, mostly because it was one of the first matches of Champions League. All in all, Prague is gorgeous. I could definitely see myself coming back at a later date, perhaps with a group of friends for a few nights out on the town, treating myself to a nicer meal than pasta and questionable tomato sauce in a hostel kitchen...

When it rains in Berlin...

So they tell me Berlin is the next big hotspot. Some even say it's been a big hotspot for years and if you didn't know about it, you weren't with it. Truth is, I think you need to know someone in Berlin to fully appreciate the place. It was our first stop; we had the backpacks and the excitement, we just didn´t get the weather...

We arrived in the evening and headed straight from the train station to our hostel in Friedrichshain. A friend had recommended the A&O Hostel as a good budget option... My verdict? Unless staying in a hostel overrun with German schoolchildren aged between 'just became a teenager and want to make sure everyone knows about it' and 'I'm far to cool for school but I sure do like to kiss my boyfriend any opportunity I get' is your idea of fun, stay far away from this hostel. Also, the only guy staying in our room was a Swiss didjeridoo player (provided some interesting entertainment) who became a bit of a tag-a-long. He was funny though and found an interesting way to stay dry in the rain!

The area around the hostel is quite good though, great for cheap places to eat and drink (we had a full meal with bread on the table for 2 euros each!) and home to a large student population. When we were there however, university term had not yet started and it was all strangely empty. Couple that with two days of solid rain and a very sick Stephanie and you get a pretty blah impression of Berlin. The trouble is there isn´t one 'easy to orient yourself from' centre. There are lots of interesting places to see, but I imagine a sunny day would make it less frustrating to walk around the city. Also, having spent the past four years in London where most of the museums are free, I just wasn´t prepared for the entry prices at galleries and museums around Berlin. We did make our way to Brandenburg gate however which was quite impressive and the public transport system is great!

Also, I met up with a friend of a friend's (thank you Daniela!) on our second night there and we went to a great little bar in Friedrichshain for herbal tea - highlight of my trip!

Final verdict: go with someone who loves to go clubbing and has thoroughly researched where to go, or go in the summer, or go with a friend who knows Berlin and can show you around.

Late in everything I do - including posting on the blog...

 I have now been from Brussels to Budapest, from Kotor to Croatia, over to Italy and into France. I've experienced the joys and terrors of night trains, beers from just about everywhere; chipped teeth and bruised arms and bums as well as delicious wine, food and beautiful sights. I originally said I'd update people via the blog but the truth is, when you're travelling around with only half an hour of internet use every few days, it does get complicated. Well, that and the fact that stupid blogspot has some kind of bizarre glitch whereby it defaults to the language of the country in which you find yourself, making Croatia, Montenegro and Hungary very hard places to blog in...
In any case, I promise to satisfy all (I know you wait with bated breath) with my first proper blogpost on Brussels, followed by Berlin, in the next week. Get excited people!